RESIDENTS say they are “astonished, disappointed and angry” at councillors’ decision to approve 166 homes on a “fast and dangerous” road near Wallingford.

Comer Homes was granted planning permission to build 35 houses, 113 flats, a swimming pool and restaurants at the former Carmel College site on Monday night.

South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) planning committee followed officers’ recommendation to approve what they called a “high quality” development.

But Mongewell Residents Group spokesman Michael Brown said: “The group is astonished, disappointed and angry at the decision.”

Residents were worried the main entrance and exit for the estate’s residents and visitors would be a small driveway off the A4074.

South Stoke Parish Council said that stretch of the A4074 was “already a very fast and very dangerous piece of road”.

Wallingford Town Council objected to the plan, saying the road network in the area was “unsuitable” and it was concerned about the impact on Wallingford.

Highways authority Oxfordshire County Council agreed the current entrance would be “inadequate” for construction and use by residents once the estate was built.

But highways officers said improving that driveway to a county standard would not be possible without damaging protected trees and the “parkland setting of the site”. Instead, the county assented to Comer’s proposal to widen the road at the gateway to six metres, sufficient to accommodate two-way traffic.

SODC planning committee member Celia Collett MBE said: “I had reservations about the flood risk and access, but I welcomed the site being developed because it preserves those buildings.”

Comer declined to comment.

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